DOCSLIB.ORG

Presidential Power Couples: Does a Strong First Lady Correlate with a Strong President?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Presidential Power Couples: Does a Strong First Lady Correlate with a Strong President? University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Honors Scholar Theses Honors Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2019 Presidential Power Couples: Does a Strong First Lady Correlate with a Strong President? Misha Jethwa [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses Part of the American Politics Commons Recommended Citation Jethwa, Misha, "Presidential Power Couples: Does a Strong First Lady Correlate with a Strong President?" (2019). Honors Scholar Theses. 646. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/646 Presidential Power Couples: Does a Strong First Lady Correlate with a Strong President? This thesis explores the extent to which a strong first lady correlates with a strong president, and if she impacts public perceptions of his success. To do this, I have run a cross-tabulation through STATA with comprehensive rankings on presidents and first ladies from C-SPAN and Siena College respectively. Both consist of 10 categories that factor into the overall rankings. I have also compiled brief case studies on statistically significant first ladies in order to discover why some of these women are ranked as such. The correlations between rankings are most prominent at the bottom of the rankings - with low ranked presidents having low ranked first ladies - but less so at the top of the rankings. The most statistically significant category of the first lady rankings was “Background”, with the least significant being “Accomplishments”. I also found that more recent first ladies tend to be ranked higher, possibly due to their ability to be seen as political figures. My qualitative research concludes that despite there being low correlations between strong first ladies and strong presidents in the rankings, the first lady does have a strong behind-the-scenes impact on her husband. Misha Jethwa Honors Thesis Advisor: Jeffrey W. Ladewig Introduction "I hope someday someone will take time to evaluate the true role of wife of a president and to assess the many burdens she has to bear and the contributions she makes.” - Harry S. Truman1 The office of the president is arguably the highest office in the world. The president is a global leader, a commander-in-chief, a legislator, but also – almost always – a husband. It is often easy to gloss over the fact that the most important person in our government has a personal life, but the first lady is not somebody to be glossed over. With the rise of feminism in the last one hundred years, there has been slightly more focus on the wife of the president, but ultimately Americans are still relatively unaware of what the office of the first lady entails. It is naïve to think that somebody in such personal proximity to the president would have no impact on his decision making in office, yet this is an assumption that most people consider to be true. There is little talk of the first lady in the election process and even during her tenure despite the fact that - for all we know - she could be backseat driving the administration, and in a number of cases has been doing so. Even in scholarly research there has been little research on first ladies, the topic having been pushed to the backburner in favor of presidential studies. In a study by Eksterowicz and Watson (2000), ten American government and ten presidency textbooks were scanned for mentions or references to first ladies. They found an average of 17 mentions of first ladies in American government textbooks and only 8 in presidency textbooks. Not only are these numbers staggeringly low, but most of them simply mention the first lady as the president’s wife and 1 Means, 1963. 1 move on without any insight into her impact on the administration. (Eksterowicz & Watson, 2000). Watson also looked at biographies written about first ladies and recorded similarly low numbers. While there are a number of books on some of the most recognizable first ladies – Eleanor Roosevelt, Abigail Adams, Hillary Clinton and the like – most have not received the same attention from scholars, with twelve first ladies only having one biography written about them, and five having nothing at all. There are a few potential reasons for this lack of research, but none of them hold much weight. Firstly, there are only a small number of cases when it comes to first ladies, so many scholars avoid the topic as it is difficult to do statistical analysis with such small numbers. It can also be hard to find pertinent information on first ladies as the public may not have access to documents such as letters or memos written by them (Watson, 2003). Ultimately, though, these issues are also faced in presidential research, meaning that first ladies must be seen as less valuable to study than presidents even though public opinion polls have shown that when asked if the first lady is important to the success of the president, over 50% of the public said that they “strongly agree” (Watson, 2000). The assumption that the first lady is simply an appendage of the president and does not affect his thoughts and actions is one that has been held throughout presidential research, but has little evidence behind it. Erasing someone who could be one of his most pertinent influencers leaves us with gaps between the presidents’ ideas and the actions he ultimately takes. “By ignoring First Ladies,” Lewis Gould (1985) argued, “we have truncated the humanity of presidents and diminished them as men. Our grasp of the presidency is poorer for that action. But we also have, and this is more important, downgraded a group of women who have fulfilled a unique responsibility. It is too simple to say that their role has been symbolic. It has been wisely 2 said that we live by symbols. How we view the First Lady is how we expect women to act, marriages to work, families to grow, and Americans to live. In the most profound sense, the study of First Ladies holds up a mirror to ourselves”. Clearly the first lady is more than just a wife to a powerful man; she holds an important role in our society and this unique role that Gould mentions is exactly what my research will dive into. The purpose of this thesis will be to measure the unknown influence that the first lady could have on the perceptions of her husband’s success through both quantitative and qualitative measures. I first examined existing literature on first ladies through psychological, historical, and socio-political lenses, before diving into my own research on the topic. I have compared C- SPAN rankings of first ladies and presidents in ten categories in order to quantify their relationship and the extent to which the first lady impacts her husband. I used STATA in order to perform a statistical analysis of these rankings and find correlations between presidential and first lady rankings. I then pulled out some of the correlations and relationships that I found the most interesting and conducted brief case studies on certain first lady in order to learn more about why some of these relationships exist, and why some of these women are ranked the way that they are. The specific women I ended up pulling out are on Ellen and Edith Wilson, Letitia and Julia Tyler, Mary Lincoln, Laura Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jane Pierce. Through these case studies, I was hoping to find real evidence – aside from purely numbers – that the First Lady is an important asset to the President and holds an important role in the executive branch of American government. After conducting my research, I can confirm that her role is a unique position unable to be filled by anybody else in the President’s life, and that without a first lady in such an influential position, we would be poorer for it. After all, our lowest ranked President was also our only unmarried President. 3 When looking at relevant literature on the subject of first ladies there are a few questions we need to answer. First, we have to look briefly into psychology to discover in what ways a wife may have an impact on her husband’s work and how a marriage affects a high-pressure job like the presidency. We also need to define what the office of the first lady really is. Does she have a formal job description, and if so, what are her formal and informal powers? It also needs to be taken into account that her role has not been stagnant for 250 years but has evolved with society and the rise of feminism. Spousal Relationships, and the Role of a Wife In colonial times, women were still somewhat seen as providing figures. “In the 18th century, many women were active in business and professional pursuits”, with many holding jobs and managerial positions in the family business (Demos, 1974). Abigail Adams, for example, managed the family estate while her husband was working, and performed a variety of tasks in his absence. The provider as a solely male job emerged in the early 1800s with the industrial revolution. It was at this point that women were discouraged from participating in the labor force and deprived of the opportunities to move up the ladder. This period of social degradation showed itself in the lack of responsibility given to women as “the wife of a more successful provider” – a president, for example – “ became for all intents and purposes a parasite, with little to do except indulge or pamper herself” (Bernard, 1981). With this heightened distinction between the sexes men were less likely to include their wives in their work lives.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Evolution of the Image of the First Lady
    The Evolution of the Image of the First Lady Reagan N. Griggs Dr. Rauhaus University of North Georgia The role of the First Lady of the United States of America has often been seen as symbolic, figurative, and trivial. Often in comparison to her husband, she is seen as a minimal part of the world stage and ultimately of the history books. Through this research, I seek to debunk the theory that the First Lady is just an allegorical figure of our country, specifically through the analysis of the twenty- first century first ladies. I wish to pursue the evolution of the image of the First Lady and her relevance to political change and public policies. Because a woman has yet to be president of the United States, the First Lady is arguably the only female political figure to live in the White House thus far. The evolution of the First Lady is relevant to gender studies due to its pertinence to answering the age old question of women’s place in politics. Every first lady has in one way or another, exerted some type of influence on the position and on the man to whom she was married to. The occupants of the White House share a unique partnership, with some of the first ladies choosing to influence the president quietly or concentrating on the hostess role. While other first ladies are seen as independent spokeswomen for their own causes of choice, as openly influencing the president, as well as making their views publicly known (Carlin, 2004, p. 281-282).
    [Show full text]
  • Connect and Health
    HIRAM THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF HIRAM COLLEGE • SPRING 2016 Connect and Health: Hiram’s building blocks president'sletter DEAR FRIENDS, HIRAM The older I get, the more MAGAZINE I come to appreciate the seasons that mark human and institutional life alike. I have been honored to work with many of you, ushering in the seasonal change at Hiram College. One of the biggest changes afoot right now is an increasingly robust shared governance process that is helping us launch academic dif- ferentiators such as Hiram Connect and Hiram Health MAGAZINE STAFF that set us apart from peer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: institutions. Jackie Moats ’09 Alaina Seguin ’17 Jessica Scheve Hiram Connect takes expe- Megan Jennings ’17 riential learning to the next Christina Russ level in a “Hiram-über” type Andrew Korba of way. At Hiram we not only hope that students will participate in an internship, study abroad or CHIEF PUBLIC AND MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICER: guided research experience, but we guarantee that they will undertake Cristine Boyd, M.B.A., APR a meaningful experiential activity and connect it to classroom learning. These connections are strengthened as students are taught how to CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: purposely reflect on what they are thinking and doing at that very instance. Jennifer Schuller, M.Ed. Being more “mindful” in their college journey not only helps students learn DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS: more deeply in the classroom, it helps them imagine and chart a future John Coyne ’95 where careers are aligned with callings. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF Another initiative – Hiram Health – similarly promotes reflection, encour- ALUMNI RELATIONS aging students to think about how living a healthy lifestyle and/or pursuing AND ANNUAL GIVING: Aimee Bell health-related majors impacts their career and life.
    [Show full text]
  • 23 Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison
    First Ladies of America Showing a dignified, even solemn Continuing to put her house countenance, the portraits of Caroline in order, she also cataloged “Carrie” Harrison belie her spirit and personality. the White House china, Warm, sentimental and artistic by nature, she designed a cabinet to hold the was fun loving, easily amused and quick to historical collection, and added to it by forgive. designing her own china for the White House. The daughter of parents who were both educators, she taught school in Kentucky for a year before Mrs. Harrison also changed the atmosphere inside the returning home at age 21 to marry Benjamin mansion. She put up the first White House Christmas Harrison, the grandson of President William Henry tree, and for the first time since 1845, a first lady’s Harrison. guests were invited to dance. As her husband’s law career advanced and he Mrs. Harrison’s interests were not all domestic. The became increasingly more focused on politics, Mrs. first President General of the Daughters of the American Harrison cared for their children, often alone, and Revolution, she kept the organization intact during its missed his presence in their family’s life. Tension founding, and she worked to advance the rights of developed in the marriage. American women. Ironically perhaps, it was Harrison’s extended When asked to support the construction of a absence during the Civil War that brought new wing at Johns Hopkins Hospital, she them back together. When Harrison Benjamin agreed — but not until hospital officials returned home safely after commanding agreed to admit women to their medical Union forces in some of the worst Harrison school.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Studies
    A Guide to Historical Holdings in the Eisenhower Library WOMEN'S STUDIES Compiled by Barbara Constable April 1994 Guide to Women's Studies at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library While the 1940s may conjure up images of "Rosie the Riveter" and women growing produce in their Victory Gardens on the homefront, the 1950s may be characterized as the era of June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson--women comfortable in the roles of mother and wife in the suburban neighborhoods of that era. The public statements concerning women's issues made by President Dwight D. Eisenhower show him to be a paradox: "...we look to the women of our land to start education properly among all our citizens. We look to them, I think, as the very foundation--the greatest workmen in the field of spiritual development...We have come a long ways in recognizing the equality of women. Unfortunately, in some respects, it is not yet complete. But I firmly believe it will soon be so." (Remarks at the College of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, October 18, 1956) "I cannot imagine a greater responsibility, a greater opportunity than falls to the lot of the woman who is the central figure in the home. They, far more than the men, remind us of the values of decency, of fair play, of rightness, of our own self-respect--and respecting ourselves always ready to respect others. The debt that all men owe to women is not merely that through women we are brought forth on this world, it is because they have done far more than we have to sustain and teach those ideals that make our kind of life worth while." (Remarks at Business and Professional Women Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, October 17, 1960) "Today there are 22 million working women.
    [Show full text]
  • The First Lady Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    THE FIRST LADY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK James Patterson | 368 pages | 17 Dec 2018 | Cornerstone | 9781780899787 | English | London, United Kingdom The First Lady PDF Book Betty Ford probably kept away from the podium thanks to her feminist views and Rosalynn Carter managed to avoid convention speeches, but the mold was finally broken by Nancy Reagan in and The first lady did not say who she was referring to. With vivid colors, great audio and Apple and Android compatibility, this 4K model is a winner—and it's on sale. First lady Melania Trump has broken her silence on the Capitol insurrection incited by her husband in a letter posted on the White House website early Monday morning in which she lashes out at her critics and then condemns the violence. She asked Secret Service agents to dress like college students and sit unobtrusively out in the hallway, on laptops, and it worked. Yeah, if I go to Fox, they will do the story. Ivana Trump is a former model who is best known as the first wife of real estate mogul Donald Trump. Log in Sign up. The first lady hoped to achieve better results through her passion for combating bullying. Some first ladies are more involved than others. To join the conversation, please Log in. Education would be right up there, and military families. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! First Lady sees some use in American publications for the wife or female partner or a head of state of another country, though not every country uses this term among their own leadership.
    [Show full text]
  • Navajo Leaders Welcome First Lady Jill Biden to the Navajo Nation
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 22, 2021 Navajo leaders welcome First Lady Jill Biden to the Navajo Nation WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Thursday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, First Lady Phefelia Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer, Second Lady Dottie Lizer, along with members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council and Navajo Nation Chief Justice JoAnn B. Jayne, welcomed the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, to the capital of the Navajo Nation for the start of a two-day visit. This marks the third visit of Dr. Biden to the Navajo Nation over the last several years and her first official visit as the First Lady. A welcome ceremony was held at Navajo Veterans Memorial Park in Window Rock, Ariz. where First Lady Biden addressed the Navajo people and leaders, which was aired live on the Nez-Lizer Facebook page and local radio stations. In her public address, First Lady Biden stated that the Biden-Harris Administration will always stand beside and work with American Indian tribes, including the Navajo Nation. “Honoring the treaty trust obligations and responsibilities between tribes and the federal government will be recognized. With beauty, harmony, and Hozhó in front of us, behind us, above us, below us, and around us, we can build and strengthen Mother Earth and our Nation. We stand with the Navajo Nation today, tomorrow, and always,” said First Lady Biden. “On behalf of the Navajo people and my wife Phefelia Nez and our family, we thank First Lady Biden for making the Navajo Nation a priority in the first months of the Biden- Harris Administration.
    [Show full text]
  • Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2 Place Hillary Moves from 2 to 5 ; Jackie
    For Immediate Release: Monday, September 29, 2003 Ranking America’s First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 nd Abigail Adams Regains 2 Place Hillary moves from 2 nd to 5 th ; Jackie Kennedy from 7 th th to 4 Mary Todd Lincoln Up From Usual Last Place Loudonville, NY - After the scrutiny of three expert opinion surveys over twenty years, Eleanor Roosevelt is still ranked first among all other women who have served as America’s First Ladies, according to a recent expert opinion poll conducted by the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI). In other news, Mary Todd Lincoln (36 th ) has been bumped up from last place by Jane Pierce (38 th ) and Florence Harding (37 th ). The Siena Research Institute survey, conducted at approximate ten year intervals, asks history professors at America’s colleges and universities to rank each woman who has been a First Lady, on a scale of 1-5, five being excellent, in ten separate categories: *Background *Integrity *Intelligence *Courage *Value to the *Leadership *Being her own *Public image country woman *Accomplishments *Value to the President “It’s a tracking study,” explains Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, Siena College professor of statistics and co-director of the First Ladies study with Thomas Kelly, Siena professor-emeritus of American studies. “This is our third run, and we can chart change over time.” Siena Research Institute is well known for its Survey of American Presidents, begun in 1982 during the Reagan Administration and continued during the terms of presidents George H. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush (http://www.siena.edu/sri/results/02AugPresidentsSurvey.htm ).
    [Show full text]
  • Former Presidents: Pensions, Office Allowances, and Other Federal Benefits
    Former Presidents: Pensions, Office Allowances, and Other Federal Benefits Wendy Ginsberg Analyst in American National Government March 21, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34631 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Former Presidents: Pensions, Office Allowances, and Other Federal Benefits Summary The Former Presidents Act (FPA; 3 U.S.C. §102 note) charges the General Services Administration (GSA) with providing former Presidents a pension, support staff, office support, travel funds, and mailing privileges. The FPA was enacted to “maintain the dignity” of the Office of the President. The act provides the former President—and his or her spouse—certain benefits to help him respond to post-presidency mail and speaking requests, among other informal public duties often required of a former President. Prior to enactment of the FPA in 1958, former Presidents leaving office received no pension or other federal assistance. Former Presidents currently receive a pension that is equal to pay for Cabinet Secretaries (Executive Level I), which is $199,700 in 2013. In addition to benefits provided pursuant to the FPA, former Presidents are also provided Secret Service protection and financial “transition” benefits to assist their transition to post-presidential life. Pursuant to the FPA, former Presidents are eligible for benefits unless they hold “an appointive or elective office or position in or under the Federal Government or the government of the District of Columbia to which is attached a rate of pay other than a nominal rate.” For FY2013, the President’s budget requested $3,779,000 for expenditures for former Presidents, $108,000 (2.9%) more than the $3,671,000 appropriated for FY2012 (P.L.
    [Show full text]
  • “Creative Conservation:” the Environmental Legacy of Pres
    “Creative Conservation:” The Environmental Legacy of Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963-1969 Derek L. Tanner Kyle L. Walker Brooke Privette Amanda M. Rock Rayanna Hoeft Helen D. Johnson Nancy K. Berlage, Ph. D., Principal Investigator Dan K. Utley, Chief Historian Center for Texas Public History, Department of History Texas State University January 2020 ABSTRACT In May 2019, staff members of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, headquartered at Johnson City, and the Center for Texas Public History at Texas State University met to discuss a partnership for historical research related to President Johnson’s administrative role in conservation and environmentalism. Under the terms of the subsequent contract, graduate Public History students at Texas State University, working as a special projects class, identified, researched, and compiled information on eight distinct topical themes that provide greater insights into the larger context. Within the span of one semester, they conducted original research, and wrote and edited the following report, which is hereby presented to the National Park Service staff in fulfillment of the contract. Additionally, students compiled an extensive curriculum guide following the same general themes. That guide is separate from this published report and has been forwarded to park service personnel as a digital report. I TABLE OF CONTENTS Illustrations.......................................................................................................................... III Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Caroline Harrison Indianapolis, Marion County October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892
    Caroline Harrison Indianapolis, Marion County October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892 Born in Ohio, Caroline Scott Harrison’s father, a Presbyterian minister, ran Oxford Female Institute in Oxford, Ohio. In October 1853, she wed Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president of the United States, Harrison (1889-93), who was known as the Centennial President because he was inaugurated one hundred years after George Washington. They moved to Indianapolis where he started his law career. When her husband became involved in politics, Harrison became part of the social elite of Indianapolis. Their home, located at 1230 N Delaware Street in Indianapolis, was the center of their social life. There, they entertained such national figures as President Rutherford B. Hayes and General William Sherman. Because of her bad health, Caroline Harrison was unable to spend time in Washington when her husband was a Senator. However, she moved to the White House when he was elected president in 1889. In her short time as first lady, Mrs. Harrison founded the largest patriotic association of women, Daughters of the American Revolution, and became its first president-general in 1890. She also convinced Johns Hopkins University Medical School to admit women by helping to raise funds for the program. Mrs. Harrison was an accomplished artist who loved to paint, especially china. With failing health, she died of tuberculosis at the White House in October 1892. Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley wrote the following tribute entitled Mrs. Harrison after she died: “Yet with the faith she knew We see her still Even as here she stood All that was pure and good And sweet in womanhoo God’s will her will.” ____ For more information about Caroline Scott Harrison, go to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/carolineharrison.
    [Show full text]
  • Our First Ladies
    This summary is by Carl Sferrazza Anthony First Lady is the unofficial title given to the wives of American presidents, or to the female relatives whom single or widowed presidents designated to serve as their hostesses. Never mentioned in the Constitution and unsalaried for the full-time work required, First Ladies have been idealized on the national and then the global stage as a symbol of American womanhood. Their roles have evolved under pressure from the press and the public, and provided a window on American political, economic and social life generally. Martha Washington (1789-1797), by simply continuing to share the home life with her husband when he became the first American president and entertaining the political and social elite, found herself revered as an American version of British nobility. The references to her as Lady Washington, her popular war-era nickname, suggests that she was elevated to a symbol of leadership. For most of the next half-century, the primary role of a president’s wife was to be the hostess in her home — the White House — not only for private guests, but also for the general public at open-house receptions. Recognizing the citizenry as her constituency, the ebullient hostess Dolley Madison (1809-1817) relished her public role. Known as "Lady Madison," recalling the title bestowed on Martha Washington, she became the standard against which later First Ladies were judged. Read more about First Ladies: July 14, 2008, 6:26 pm First Ladies, A Short History By Carl Sferrazza Anthony First Lady is the unofficial title given to the wives of American presidents, or to the female relatives whom single or widowed presidents designated to serve as their hostesses.
    [Show full text]
  • Microsoft Outlook
    Stuart Lutz From: [email protected] Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 9:28 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc. monthly newsletter Dear autograph collector, I hope you are having a fine start to the summer. This month's newsletter features a handwritten Dwight Eisenhower letter to Barry Goldwater, a Richard Nixon letter about a Congressional vote on the Vietnam War, an Alex Haley inscribed Roots, signed books by Gerald Ford and Lucretia Garfield, and an interesting, early forensic science archive that resulted in a murdered being executed in Pennsylvania's electric chair. In news about manuscripts, one of the most famous Twentieth Century literary letters, a lengthy Neal Cassady letter to Jack Kerouac that helped inspire On The Road, is about to be auctioned;. Last month, a few clients knew that John Tyler was the only President ever listed as a sworn enemy of the Federal government; it occured when he was elected to the Confederate Congress. This month's trivia question is, "What major league player hit the greatest number of home runs in his final season?" By now, you probably know the reward for the first correct answer. Sincerely, Stuart Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc. 784 Morris Turnpike, PMB #161 Short Hills, New Jersey 07078-2698 Toll Free Phone 1 (877) I-BUY-DOCS [428-9362] Toll Free Fax 1 (877) 9-FAX-DOCS [932-9362] www.HistoryDocs.com Member of the Professional Autograph Dealers Association, the Manuscript Society, the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the Appraisers Association of America, the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (Registered Dealer #166) and the Ephemera Society.
    [Show full text]